updates from a van and a man at Rafah crossing

Willis and Al Niss, with their van of medical supplies, have been at the Rafah crossing since July 20th, and have still not been granted permission to cross into Gaza with the needed supplies. The authorities have had them fill out numerous forms, and requested a letter from their SMPs, which they submitted without any response. Al Niss and WIllis then submitted a copy of the same letter –signed by 6 SMPs –to Palestinian political party members (DFLP) who were en route to Cairo for a meeting with Chief of Intelligence, Omar Suleiman.

WIllis and Al Niss sent a telegram to President Mubarek a week ago but have not received a reply. Willis emailed Egyptian PM Nazeef, again requesting passage and again receiving no reply. She left 3 days ago to return to her work in Scotland.

The holdup at the Rafah crossing has had media coverage by the main Egyptian tv channel, Channel 1, and Al Jazeera has included updates on their tv channel information bar. Many UK-based newspapershave covered Al Niss and Willis’ progress and numerous websites are reporting on the stalled status at the border. A journalist based in Egypt is covering the story at Rafah, and an Egyptian journalist reports for Islam Online.

In the coming week, following any further delays in issuing a decision regarding crossing, al Niss will hold a press conference in Cairo.

On the 10th of August, the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Dr. Salim al-Hess, along with MPs from Arab and EU countries will hold a demonstration at the Rafah crossing calling for it to be opened immediately, allowing Palestinians passage for medical care, study, work, and for the basic rights of movement that free people around the world enjoy.

International Journalism Award From Mexican Press Club March 2017

about me

Eva Bartlett is an independent writer and rights activist with extensive experience in Syria and in the Gaza Strip, where she lived a cumulative three years (from late 2008 to early 2013). She documented the 2008/9 and 2012 Israeli war crimes and attacks on Gaza while riding in ambulances and reporting from hospitals.
Since April 2014, she has visited Syria 7 times, including two months in summer 2016 and one month in Oct/Nov 2016 and her latest visit in June 2017 (to Aleppo, Homs, al-Waer, Madaya, al-Tall, Damascus).
Her early visits included interviewing residents of the Old City of Homs, which had just been secured from militants, and visiting historic Maaloula after the Aramaic village had been liberated of militants. In December 2015, Eva returned to old Homs to find life returning, small shops opened, some of the damaged historic churches holding worship anew, and citizens preparing to celebrate Christmas once again.
On her 5th visit in June-August 2016, she went twice to Aleppo, also visiting: liberated Palmyra; Masyaf to interview survivors of the terrorist attacks on Aqrab and Adra; survivors of the May 23 terrorist attacks on Jableh & Tartous; and the Barzeh district of Damascus, as well as returning again to Maaloula and Latakia.
On her sixth visit to Syria, in October and November, she visited Aleppo twice more, as well as areas around Damascus. The testimonies Eva gathered in Aleppo starkly contrasted narratives corporate media had been asserting.
On her seventh visit to Syria in June 2017, she revisited Aleppo, including going to eastern areas formerly terrorist-occupied, finding that hospitals had been militarized, basements turned into prisons. She also went to the highly-propagandized over village of Madaya, as well as al-Waer, Homs, and al-Tall.
Many of her published Syria writings, videos, photos can be found at this link:
https://ingaza.wordpress.com/syria/
A more detailed account of her activism and writings can be found here:
https://ingaza.wordpress.com/about-me/